Rosemary & Thyme Chicken Fillets on Parsley Cream Pasta with Bacon & Enoke mushroom

I miss my parents sorely whenever they drive back to La Union for the week. Our family bonds over food and I enjoy good food whenever they are around. I actually only cook whenever they aren't here because then i can only imagine good food while I settle with processed and canned goods. Hence this meal.





For the marinade

1/4 cup yogurt
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp cayenne pepper
3 cloves crushed garlic
juice of half a lemon
1/2 diced shallot

1. mix all ingredients in a bowl and marinade chicken fillets for at least an hour.

2. pan sear the chicken until lightly browned

3. transfer in a pan and then bake in the oven for 20 minutes at 350F.

For the Pasta Sauce

about 1 cup of Parsley

1 cup of cream

salt

pepper

cheese (fontina, gruyere & mozarella)

enoke mushroom

minced garlic

onions

1. saute the bacon in a little oil until crisp. Set Aside.

2. saute onion and garlic for 2 mins

3. add the mushroom and continue to saute for another minute

4. add the cream and cheese and let simmer for 5 minutes

5. toss in pasta and serve hot

Chocolate Cake Truffles

One time big time as they say... I'll be busy over the next few months studying so I spent my leap day (most of it) in the kitchen baking & cooking coz i think I may not have the chance to do so for the longest time.

A friend of mine tagged me in a photo of cake pops in facebook recently and it has haunted me continuously over the past days. I know i wouldn't have peace until i made some but since I was too lazy to get myself some candy melts, my cake pops went from being pops  to chocolate cake truffles

anyway, these truffles are for my friend Diane who just passed the Bar Exams. I am so much proud of her.


For the cake
1 3/4 c all purpose Flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 c cocoa powder
2 eggs
1 c boiling water
1 tsp vanilla

bake in a 350F oven for 15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean

for the Frosting
3 cups icing sugar
8oz cream cheese
1/2 c melted semisweet chocolate
1 tsp vanilla

For the chocolate coating

melt 1 cup of semi sweet chocolate on a heat proof pan and mix until glossy

crumble the cooled cake

mix in frosting adding half a cup first and then more until you get the desired consistency

its good when you get a crumby dough like consistency

using the palm of your hands shape them into balls and then freeze for at least an hour
coat with melted chocolate and then freeze

Voila!!!

Rosemary Garlic Soft Knots

I wanted to de-stress myself yesterday so I spent the whole afternoon (literally) in the kitchen.

hours were spent browsing through blog after blog looking for something to keep myself busy with til i finally settled with just two options 1. making Siopao and 2. my twist on Annie's garlic bread knots.

Patience indeed is a virtue and my impatience got the best of me. While going over the recipe for siopao I got lazy and impatient upon reading "let the dough rise and double its size for atleast an hour", i thought what the shiznits no way... i'll knead then wait, prepare the filling, knead again then steam before i can enjoy my food. NO WAY!!! My limit is an hour of waiting... which was what i read in the recipe for the soft knots only to learn later on that after that hour of waiting for the dough to rise, i'd still have to wait some 45 minutes more before i can put them in the oven... too late though as i read that part after i had gone to let the dough rest.

For the dough

3 cups bread flour

1 tbsp sugar

2 tsp. instant yeast

1 1/4 tsp salt

2 tbsp olive oil

1/4 cup milk

1 cup plus 2 tbsp warm water

1. in a mixer with paddle attachment, sift together all dry ingredients

2. create a well in the center and pour the oil, milk and water

3. mix until just well combined and the dough starts to form

4. change mixer attachment to dough hook and knead on low speed until elastic and smooth

about 7-8 minutes

5. transfer to an oiled bowl turning once to coat

6.cover with plastic wrap or towel and let rise or double in size for atleast an 1 hour

7. divide dough into 10 equal parts

8. roll into a log - around half an inch to an inch thick

9. tie into a knot, tuck the lower end up and the upper end down

10. let rest for atleast 45 minutes until puffy

11. glaze and bake at 350F for 15-17 minutes or until lightly browned

For the glaze

3 tbsp butter

3 cloves garlic

1/2 tsp dried rosemary

1/2 tsp italian seasoning 

tie into knots and tuck

do not disturb, let them sleep for 45 minutes under a warm blanket

glaze

Voila

Oriental Orange Chicken

We bought oranges yesterday. It was a fun shopping trip as I had finally figured out how to let my lil one enjoy the activity as well. My 11 month old daughter prefers being carried over being pushed in her stroller. You can say that she hates it as much as sitting on those toddler seats in push carts. The secret as I have learned it to be is to 1. make her sit in the cart giving her space to reach for the goods and inspect them at will 2. make her enjoy the food at the free taste counters (my lil one had her share of cheese and bread) 3. hand her the items (those safe ones that aren't choking hazards) and allow her to play with them.

Anyway, back to the oranges. I initially wanted my baby to enjoy drinking freshly squeezed orange juice but saw that she looked like she was being punished with each sip so i decided to make Orange chicken instead and let her taste chicken marinated in orange juice...

FOR THE MARINADE
1/2 cup chicken broth
3/4 cup Orange Juice
1/4 cup light soy sauce
1/2 cup packed  brown sugar
3 tbsp rice wine
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
4-5 cloves garlic
1 tsp grated ginger
1 1/2 tbsp orange zest
I used 7 pcs boneless chicken Fillets and cut them into strips but you can cut them into chunks or whichever way it may please you. Dredged them in corn flour mixed with chinese 5 spice powder and shallow fried them they were crispy and brown.

FOR THE SAUCE

Set aside 1/4 of the marinade
let simmer and thicken with corn flour

enjoy

French Macarons - first attempt

I had planned on going to the Cocoa Pantry this morning to buy myself baking essentials and supplies but for some reason I ended up in Sweet Craft in Mandaluyong City. 
It felt like I had died and gone to baking heaven with all the baking goodies they had in the store. I had initially only planned on buying supplies for my cupcakes such as liners, boxes, icing sugar and a round tip but in walking through aisle after aisle of heaven I ended up buying all sorts of stuff.
Anyway, because I had slivered almonds already I figured I'd try making french macarons.
Yes I got ambitious again. and i think this time I over estimated my baking capabilities haha oh well practice makes perfect. I will buy myself a round tip and swear not to overbeat my egg whites next time.

blame it on foodbuzz for featuring macarons as their daily special yesterday...


FRENCH MACARONS
120 grams egg white (approx 3 large eggs)
50 grams white sugar (1/4 cup)
pinch of salt
pinch of cream of tartar
food coloring (optional)


150 grams slivered almonds
170 grams powdered sugar


In a food processor pulse process powdered sugar and almonds til you get a flour like consistency. set aside.


In a bowl, beat eggs on low until foamy, add cream of tartar and beat on medium-high speed , gradually add salt and sugar until stiff peaks form. add food color.


Carefully fold in the almond and sugar mixture until mixture turns glossy.
be careful not to over fold the mixture.


use a piping bag with a round tip and pipe onto parchment paper lined baking tray


bake at 285F for 16 minutes.


fill with ganache or buttercream.


I used nutella buttercream
1/2 stick butter
3 cups icing sugar
1/4 cup nutella